The present invention relates to the field of interactive electronic devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to interactive toys that receive a plurality of interchangeable cartridges, each cartridge having a scroll displaying in succession a plurality of pictorial scenes.
It is known in the art to provide an electronic device adapted to receive a plurality of interchangeable cartridges, each cartridge having a substrate mounted on rods in the manner of a scroll, the substrate having a plurality of pictorial scenes disposed thereon. Such devices are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,457 (Bromley); U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,345 (Weiner et al., hereinafter “Weiner”); and U.S. Pat. No. 5,944,574 (Small et al., hereinafter “Small”). More particularly, Bromley discloses an interactive device having a story belt disposed within a cartridge. When the cartridge is inserted into the device of Bromley, the story belt overlies a membrane key pad having a plurality of electrical switches. A user of the device of Bromley may press on the story belt to activate one of the plurality of electrical switches to initiate a response from the device. Weiner discloses a base unit along with a plurality of cartridges having a window, a pair of rods rotatably mounted in the housing, and a printed substrate mounted on the rods in the manner of a scroll. The cartridges of Weiner are disclosed to preferably include a memory unit which is operatively connected to a microcontroller housed in the base unit. Small discloses an interchangeable cassette which is received in a base unit. The cassette includes a pair of rollers on which a picture scroll is wound. Small further discloses a plurality of interactive control buttons disposed in the base unit adjacent the cavity into which the cassette is received.
An interactive toy which provides an input device, not previously incorporated into such toys, through which a user may interact with the toy should provide more engaging play activity than previous interactive toys. Further, an interactive toy having an interchangeable cartridge incorporating features to improve the durability of the cartridge would also be desirable.